The Trouble with Idioms
by sstillma
Summary: Lal and Data.


Lal was continuing her work in ten forward. She didn't particularly like the work, but she didn't' particularly dislike it either - she actually had no feelings about it one way or another. But that was typical for an android, no emotions. there was no like or dislike, no happy or sad. there just was. and Lal _was_.

She just _was_ as she meticulously wiped down the bar. She just _was_ as she poured synthale after synthale with flawless head. She just _was_ as she calculated the exact nano second to which Andonian tea was steeped to perfection. And she just was as she observed the interactions between the bar's patrons, often imitating their gestures and repeating their jokes. That's why she was in Ten Forward, after all, to observe human behavior. When Data, her father, had first activated her, he felt the exposure to humanity's social side would do his daughter some good. He appointed Guinan as the girl's chaperone with the hopes that she would protect Lal from experiencing some of the less desirable human behaviors often seen in a bar. Guinan, who was reluctant to the task at first, eventually took a quiet pride in guiding Lal through the difficult task of interacting humans and the even more difficult task of understanding them.

Lal was preparing to drop off an order she had just taken from a group of young ensigns huddled around a table in the corner of the bar. She had some difficulty balancing the tray of synthales, as her motor coordination had not yet stabilized in spite of the adaptations Data had made to her second level neural transfers. The glasses teetered and rocked as she stumbled toward the table.

"I still don't' understand why you are working a second shift tonight." whined an attractive Bajoran medical ensign, batting her eyelashes at the young man sitting across from her.

"Believe me, I didn't want to." the crewman said, tersely, as he snatched a synthale from Lal's hand. "I have no desire to spend twelve more hours in Engineering recalibrating the deflector array."

"Yeah, but you said you'd do it even though you knew we had reserved a holodeck for a few rounds of Velocity." the very large Bolian said in-between slurps of synthale.

"Well it wasn't my fault." said the crewman, wiping synthale foam off his lip and onto his sleeve.

"I fail to see how 'fault' enters into this at all. Perhaps you merely forgot your previous commitment and are shifting balme to another. Typical human behavior." The fourth member of the table said, flatly. The female Vulcan didn't even glance up from her sythnale as she spoke.

Scowling, the crewman shot back, "I mean, I wasn't planning on taking a second shift. I don't want to take a second shift. You know I've been waiting to beat you in a game of Velocity since I last played you. Commander LaForge twisted my arm and now I'll be spending the next twelve hours entering data sequences in front of a monitor."

"Do not be absurd. You know you could never beat physiology is far superior to that of a human. Your physical strength is too low and your reflexes significantly too slow for a match to result in anything other than a win on my part. Your'e much better suited to entering data sets than to participating in athletic endeavors." She took a long sip of synthale.

"Hey, if he says it's not his fault, it's not his fault! There's no need to be insulting about it. You're just afraid of loosing to him anyway!" The Bajoran ensign whipped around to face the Vulcan, quick to defend the crewman.

"I fear nothing, least of all a trivial game with a sub-par competitor." For the first time the Vulcan ensign looked up from her synthale, shooting a cold look to the crewman next to her.

"Woah, woah! Let's just cool down for a second." The Bolian could feel the tension at the table rising. "We'll reserve the holodeck again next week. Tonight we'll just play without him, okay? There's no need to bring personalities into this." The Bolian reached for his second synthale and drained it quickly.

The ensigns continued to quarrel amongst themselves as Lal left the table, but she was far too preoccupied to hear what they were saying. Her thoughts were interrupted by Guinean as she returned to the bar.

"Lal, I think you've seen enough human interactions for one day." She said with a furrowed brow, clearly bothered by the squabble amongst the ensigns. "It would be best if you went back to your quarters."

"No." Lal responded, in her typical electronic tone. "I prefer to stay. I will stay." She began clearing empty glasses off the bar.

"Lal, I'm asking you to go back to your quarters." Guinan moved closer. Fearing the ensigns' argument might escalate, she decided she'd rather not expose Lal to a fistfight in a bar. Sending her home would be the easiest solution.

Without warning, Lal reached out, grabbing Guinan firmly by the wrist. With a quick jerk, she twisted Guinan's arm backwards. Guinan cried out, not from pain, but rather from shock.

As Lal held Guinan captive by the wrist, the bar's doors slid open and Data walked in. Surprised to see his daughter holding the bartender so forcibly, he called out.

"Lal! Lal, what are you doing?" He rushed towards her, taking her hand and removing it from Guinan's wrist. By this time the ensigns had lost interest in their argument as the whole of Ten Forward fixed their attention on the two androids.

"I would much rather stay. I think that I will stay." Lal looked up at her father. "Guinan suggested that I leave. I did not want to leave. I desired to change her mind."

"And assulting me would do that?" Guinan was perplexed, but not angry. She seldom, if ever, lost her cool.

"I fear my daughter has made a mistake." Data shook his head. "She was merely acting literally on a figurative part of speech. She meant you no harm. She only intended to, as you would say, twist your arm."


End file.
